I use the rocky products of volcanic eruptions to
understand
processes that occur inside the earth. Everybody
knows that
volcanoes are dangerous and a looming hazard for much of the global
population. But these mouths sometimes speak of the deep
earth. I
use the chemistry of lava to investigate how magma is made in the earth
and how it moves upwards to feed eruptions. I also study the links
between volcanism and processes that influence the earth's surface,
such as glaciation, hydrothermal activity, climate change
and uplift.